Steal This: Chef Action Stations

Make your chef the star of the party with eye-catching action that not just feeds, but also entertains. Here are five ideas, covering a range of styles and cuisines.

Science!

Bringing science and fun together into its Science on the Hill holiday party, Purple Onion Catering, Vienna, VA dressed the chefs in lab coats, some menu items were served in glass beakers, and the welcome drink was served in clear test tubes. As one can expect, liquid nitrogen was a featured aspect in many areas, including the bar.

Sushi station included an assortment of Aburi (torched on top, raw on the bottom) sushi including shrimp mango, bulgogi beef, Atlantic salmon, and volcano tuna Photo: AlexanderMorozov.com

The liquid nitrogen dessert station, called “Dragon’s Breath” showed chefs dipping various types of cereal, which were then handed to guests so they could “blow smoke” Photo: AlexanderMorozov.com

Blowing smoke! Photo: AlexanderMorozov.com

Siphon!

Take a couple of hot coffee siphons and turn them into an inexpensive but crowd dazzling hot soup siphon station. In this application, 24 carrots catering & events, Irvine, CA used water, lemongrass, mirin, and ginger in the dashi, as well as lime leaves, garlic, dried chili and bonito flakes. Imagine the scent as the liquid comes to a boil, vaporizes up to the top, then shoots back down with the result: a delicious clarified broth. Garnish with lobster consommé, pork belly ramin, or seared scallops and various greens.

Siphon station set up Photo: Per Pixel Photo

The ceremony of the pour Photo: Per Pixel Photo

Three selections at this entrancing station Photo: Per Pixel Photo

Boulangerie et Charcuterie!

For entertaining trustees, donors, honorees, and distinguished guests during commencement weekend, Catering on the Charles, Boston, MA pitched a French bistro theme. Included was a fromage and charcuterie station with raclette grill, which also included a display of racks and baskets filled with homemade baguettes, ficelles, and boules that the chefs pulled from to serve at their station. 

The rack and basket display provided a lovely backdrop for this delicious action station Photo by Jackie Ricciardi for Boston University Photography

Cheese selections included aged goat, Roquefort, Epoisses, fromage de meaux, crottin de champcol, and tomme de savoie Photo by Jackie Ricciardi for Boston University Photography

Dessert!

The Mix Mix Dessert Station, from 24 carrots catering & events, was developed from the Filipino dessert, halo-halo, which mixes shaved ice and evaporated milk with various ingredients. In this station, assorted jellies, ube jam, sweet beans, fresh coconut, milk, chocolate, and some fruits are matched with leche flan and ube and avocado ice creams. The chef does much of the assembling and then guests can personalize with the toppers as well as choose to mix/match the ice creams.

The Mix Mix station set up. The purple ice cream is the ube; green for avocado! Photo: Per Pixel Photo

Chef assembles much of the dessert for the guest Photo: Per Pixel Photo

A finishing touch of milk to fill in all of the cracks and crevices Photo: Per Pixel Photo

Blow torch!

At a recent NACE chapter event in Minneapolis, Chef John Chesnut, CRAVE Catering, Minneapolis, MN, impressed attendees with his toasted savory doughnut station. With pesto and cheese injection, a slab of mozzarella torched on top, drizzled with balsamic, and garnished with a roasted Roma, the blow torch performance brought cheers from the audience once completed.

Sometimes you get so enthusiastic about tasting something, you forget there needs to be photographic evidence taken first. Photo Kathleen Stoehr for Catersource